A Black Rose
by Aisaki Sumi
Summary: COMPLETED! Conflict in Eden was their albatross -- not enough, never enough, time. Dark fic, Sakura x Syaoran
1. A Dark Desire

**Warning:** Controversial issues. It is on the same line as pedophilic relationships, and possibly more controversial than homosexuality. This fic is very, very dark, take the rating seriously. There will be some smut scenes, but not graphic.

Disclaimer: The incest idea came from Angel Sanctuary, but the plot itself is entirely original, and it has nothing to do with Angel Sanctuary. Please feel free to do a comparison if you like.

**A Black Rose**

_By: Aisaki Sumi_

Summary: In the world of riches where money can grant wishes like a genie in a bottle, Li Syaoran is a successful businessman who has everything but tormented by a dark desire for someone he can never have, Sakura. Sakura x Syaoran, a very dark fic

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**Chapter One**

**A Dark Desire**

_Pervasive sadness in knowing nothing can be changed because their lives are discrete entities: one of dazzling people and soft words to elicit the perfect smile and touching the hearts of many; and another of harsh coolness and a master at the game of human psychology and knows exactly what he wants._

_Conflict in Eden was their albatross—not enough, never enough, time.  
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He wanted her. It was a simple, yet it was a dark desire, forbidden in the eyes of many. It was sinful, beyond _just_ sinful. The desire was the turmoil of his heart, tormenting his dark soul day and night; a burden that he must carry alone until the end of time. Such a strong desire, lust, want--it was beyond his mind's comprehension. It was too much even for him to handle.

Perhaps he was going insane, or was already insane.

His actions were driven by this dark passion. He succumbed to the power of alcohol and sex, often using others to distract himself. Dating other women, having countless numbers of one-night stands, had become his daily routine when he thought he needed an escape.

He wanted to get away from memories of her, but no matter how hard he tried to erase her beautiful, innocent face from his mind, he just couldn't. He even tried to find someone who looked like her to fill up the hole in his heart. But it didn't work. He could never replace her in his heart. Never. Because she was simply irreplaceable.

Shadowed amber eyes gazed icily into the vacant space before him, as if looking without actually seeing. His office was dark, encompassed by threatening blackness whose company he thoroughly enjoyed.

The dark, velvet curtains shielded away the invasive lights that were trying to pierce through the thick material. It gave away the impression of an artificial night, where he could be embraced by the presence of a soul-calming darkness that he appreciated so much.

Darkness was his only companion. It understood him, knew his secrets--his darkest secrets-- the most sinful ones. It knew what his heart longed for and the ugly soul that was hidden behind his handsome mask.

Li Syaoran was a powerful man, one of the most successful businessmen in Asia. He had everything most could only dream of having: money, a high status, and the multi-billion dollar Li Corporation under his command.

But there was one thing he wanted the most, and couldn't have, and that was a girl named Sakura. She was the only thing he ever wanted, ever wanted to possess, ever wanted to hold. Yet he couldn't.

It was forbidden. It was wrong. It was aberrant. It was errant. It was perceived as deeds of the devil.

His mind was plagued by these thoughts day and night, irking him to no end. He felt frustrated — irritated by the simple fact that he couldn't have her. It made him feel like a failure, like nothing.

This obsession was slowly eating away his threadbare sanity. It was devouring him, luring him into the realms of insanity, of madness. He was being irrational, out of character, losing his usual calm and collectiveness.

She was his only weakness, his only flaw. Yet it was a flaw that he never wanted to amend, never wanted to let go of.

Sometimes he wondered if his eyes revealed too much when he watched her silently from afar. After all, the eyes are the windows to one's soul. No matter how hard one wanted to conceal away the emotions, their eyes would display it all.

And he was quite certain that their vision had collided more than just once. He couldn't keep the longing look in his eyes hidden; he just couldn't.

His mother knew about this secret of his, the one that he struggled to keep hidden in the darkness. It was the only reason why she divorced his father and took away the only precious person in his life.

They were forbidden to see each other, and even if they did, he wasn't permitted to approach her, or be near her within a radius of fifteen meters. His mother wanted to keep her innocent little girl away from the claws of the devil; a mother's overly protective intuitions he presumed.

He still remembered the day when his mother found of about his secret love for Sakura, the one exceed what society norms defined as a simple brotherly love. Yelan was fuming, beyond furious.

Like an offended tiger protecting her children, she growled at him, bellowed at him, screamed at him and called him the devil. She threatened to take Sakura away from him, to a place where he could never reach.

The words echoed still in his mind even up to this day.

_I knew you were an evil child! I knew you were going to bring trouble to us and plague this family the day you were born! You're not my son, you're the devil! You're not Syaoran! _Those hysterical cries, composed of hurtful words, were spat out from the mouth of his supposedly loving mother.

Ever since he was a child, he knew she treated her differently from Sakura. He had caught those icy, hateful glances, full of resentment and disdain directed his way when she thought he wasn't looking.

Because she said, he was born on the day when the lightening struck the earth, ripping the fabrics of the night sky. The storm lasted the entire night. The elders who could foresee the future informed Yelan that Syaoran was Satan's reincarnation.

Before Sakura came along, Yelan was always emotionally unstable. She was always bitter, deriding the world. Everyone thought she was mad, until the birth of Sakura that is.

She had always been more affectionate toward Sakura, his younger sister, than to him, and attempted to keep her away from him as much as she could.

Syaoran didn't mind it back then, he thought she was just being her old, overprotective self and that was all. But he was wrong. He was proved wrong on his fourteenth birthday when she found him holding onto Sakura in a way perceived by her as inappropriate and forbidden.

_How could you Syaoran?! She is your sister for god's sake! Just how low and how disgusting can you get?! I've been watching you for the past several years, trying to convince myself that you will not do this to me, to this family. I thought you would eventually change and lose the devil's shadow in you from my strict way of raising you. But I was wrong! How could I have ever thought that the devil can actually change?_

On the same day, she filed a divorce and moved out of the Li mansion, leaving his stunned, speechless father and a bewildered son behind.

It was on that fateful, inevitable day that she walked out of his life, stealing away the person he regarded as the most precious one in his life.

She took away Sakura, his younger sister — the one he loved ever since he was a child and the one he still loved up to this day even as a twenty-two-year old businessman.

He only saw her once a year, sometimes once three years. Their meetings were sporadically planned. Their destinies were like the golden threads weaved by the constantly spinning wheel of fate. Neither could predict what the future had installed for them, but Syaoran was quite positive that it wouldn't be great.

A sigh heavy of aggravation escaped his parted lips as he sank deeper into his black leather chair. His eyes aligned with the shadowed ceiling, as he was lost in deep contemplation once again.

The ghastly silence that filled the room was the one that could be broken with the simple drop of a needle. It rang in his ears, almost mockingly, silently whispering the sins he had committed, taunting him with a different blackmail-worthy secret.

It was then the phone suddenly decided to ring. Narrowing his amber eyes annoyingly at the offensive, unnerving ringing, he called his secretary. Or rather, yelled at her. "Sayuri! Get the goddamned phone!" The order came out as harsh as he had intended.

"Yes sir!" He heard a loud and clear answer through the thick, well-polished dark red door, followed by a loud clatter of what sounded like the falling of a stack of important documents and some other personal belongings.

Furrowing his eyebrows into a discontent frown, Syaoran messaged his temples, feeling a heavy migraine coming.

She was so going to get fired. He made a mental note to himself.

Suddenly, the door was shoved open with a force too great to be applied to such expensive surface. A young woman in her early twenties scampered into the room with a flushing face. Her business suit had a dark, brown stain of what seemed like spilled coffee on it.

She pushed aside the strands of dark hazel locks that were threatening to get in her way before picking up the phone for Syaoran.

"Hello, Li Corporation, Li Syaoran's office. May I inquire who is calling?" She greeted the caller with a formal and polite tone, despite the fact that she had just caused a huge mess and rushed into her boss's office covered in spilled coffee. Her breathing was uneven and rapid, yet she concealed it all from the caller.

After a few moments of nodding and paled expressions, Sayuri covered the speaker part of the phone and turned to Syaoran with a white face. "It's Takahashi Satomi-san!" She whispered in a panicky tone, horrid eyes boring into the deep pools of amber, scouting for help and instruction.

Crossing his arms, Syaoran stared at her nonchalantly. "Tell her I no longer wish to see her." He said coolly with little hesitation, as if breaking a heart was just a part of his everyday routine. This earned him a look that was torn between disappointment and exasperation.

Sayuri turned away and inhaled deeply. "I am sorry Takahashi-san. I am afraid Li-san won't be able to take your call right now. He has some very important business to take care of at this moment, and he will probably be very occupied by work for the next few months and he wishes you the best of luck in finding someone else. He says he is sure that the person will be a much better lover than him, and will be able to offer you more of what you're looking for."

Sayuri sighed softly as she listened to the woman on the other line sob helplessly. She didn't know why her boss was such a player, or a certified heartbreaker to be more exact.

And worse, she was always the one doing his dirty break-up-work for him. Sometimes she wondered if she could sue him for using her like this, after all, it wasn't part of the job description and when she signed the contract. But she quickly tossed the idea aside as she felt his piecing eyes on her.

Paralyzed under such an intensive gaze, Sayuri felt her face growing warmer by the passing second, and her heart beating an excited, highly unnatural rhythm.

Right, she almost forgot that he was the most gorgeous man in Japan, a natural heart-robber and charmer. No woman was ever able to turned down his offers. They could only throw themselves at his feet and beg him to take them with little dignity, if any at all.

Hearing a soft, quiet rustling of fabrics and a light squeak from the leather chair, she titled her head to the direction of the sound but only to find him staring directly into her eyes with a charming, seductive and devious smirk playing on his lips.

His face was only inches away from hers, and she could feel his warm, moistened breathe beating against her skin, causing a tingling sensation in the area of contact. And this realization made her heartbeat escalate.

"You're doing a wonderful job, Sayuri." He complimented her huskily; scented breath weakening her defense system. He could see the dark scarlet tinge on her cheeks, and this mere fact amused him.

No woman could ever resist him. They became his prey and property the moment he set his pair of irresistible and predatory eyes on them. The fact that they all would willingly submit themselves to him made him feel like a real winner.

"Th-thank you sir." She stammered, becoming incoherent as her mind blanked out. She wanted to move away from him, yet found herself mesmerized by his enticing amber eyes.

The air she had inhaled a moment ago was caught in her throat. All she could do right now was to pray for some sort of distraction that would break this intensive eye contact between them.

"Baka onii-chan! (Stupid brother)" The loud brawl echoed through the heavy air as the once closed door was kicked open again. Syaoran pulled away and gawked at the door with widened eyes.

It was none other than the auburn haired girl he had longed for silently for as long as he could remember. She was no longer the girl he used to know, but still not old enough to be a woman.

Fuming, she stomped her way into the dark office, a hand resting on her hip as she glared at him in exasperation. Her face was flushing a brilliant scarlet color as she breathed harshly.

She actually ran her way across town.

"Why didn't you show up?!" She demanded angrily, hands tightening into taut firsts, ready to throw a punch at anyone who dared to offend her at that moment.

"I was busy." Syaoran cleared his throat, veiling his emotions once again as he looked down at her. There was one thing he loved about her, and that was her hot temper--the almost childish accusing glower in her large emerald green eyes.

Straightening out his shirt, he ambled over to where she stood and raised a hand into the air to ruffle her short auburn hair.

"Aren't you supposed to be a good girl and stay with okaa-san?" He asked in a soft tone, a caring glint glimmering in his usual cold amber eyes.

A quite humph was all he received from her. Chuckling humorlessly to himself, his hand slid down to her cheek. His thumb traced over the contour of her visage, taking the time to caress the silky, creamy white skin.

Several shades of red pervaded her cheeks but she didn't move away from the gentle touch. This made Syaoran smile. His eyes trailed over the shape of her crescent shaped eyebrows, the pouty lips begging to be kissed, and eyes that smoldered a challenge.

"Baka onii-chan, you promised me we'd have dinner together." She grumbled sulkily, thick, light lashes fluttering alluringly, tugging at Syaoran's heart relentlessly.

"But mother said--"

"I don't care about what she says!" She declared angrily.

They stared at each other for a moment, deep ambers bearing the slightest surprise and sparkling emeralds glistening fierce with determination.

"I know mother treats us differently. She shows me so much love yet treats you with open hostility." She trailed off, words light and soft, fading into a bare whisper. "But that doesn't mean we can't see each other anymore!"

Syaoran gazed at her for a moment, the look in his eyes was tender and yet infinitely sad. Tearing his eyes off her before they decide to betray more of his thoughts, he turned away, starting to stroll toward the door and leaving a puzzled Sakura behind.

"Onii-chan?" She inquired timidly, inquisitive emerald eyes following him.

Halting into a stop before stepping out of hise office, Syaoran turned around, a smirk curved on his lips. "Stay here if you want while I go get myself something to eat." With that being said, he twisted around and began to walk away.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Sakura cried out, hurrying out of the dimly lit office as she chased after her brother.

'Siblings' was the word that defined their relationship. It was the invisible chain that incarcerated him from moving toward her. It was the mountain that separated them; the brick wall that divided their worlds.

He could never have her.

He could never display his affections to her openly.

_Because she was his sister._

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A/N: Ho ho ho, incest. Yes puke right now if you want, I never asked you to read it in the first place. If you're thinking about flaming me and starting the name-callings, let me just tell you one thing. Your flames will be mocked at and laughed at and used to cook my breakfast. I've warned you at the beginning of the fic that this might be very offending to certain readers. If you ignored the warning and went ahead and read it, whose fault is it? Not mine, it was yours. Flaming me would only make you seem more like an illiterate idiot because you, apparently, can't read the warning.

**With that being said, open-minded reviewers will be adored and given huge chocolate hearts :P**

_Chapter one completion date: 14/03/2006_

_Words: 2,816 (excluding the notes at the beginning and end)_

Disregard all mistakes.


	2. An Unforgivable Sin

**A Black Rose  
**_By: Aisaki Sumi_

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**Chapter Two  
****An Unforgivable Sin**

_Hold my hand and say my name and the red staining the ground is in actuality seven million butterflies flapping over a field of dreams. Smile and kiss me and we can pretend in our make-believe world before the vase falls and the glass shatters._

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Elegant music saturated the room, creating an atmosphere of light cheer as those who were at top of society pages mingled. Glasses full of the most expensive champagne used more as a prop than a drink. Idle chatter that said nothing and yet was full of intimacy. A room full of the richest, wealthiest members of society all set to enjoy another gala event.

"I thought we were going to some fast food restaurant." Mumbled Sakura quietly with perplexity lacing in her voice as if anything louder than a bare whisper would be considered as impudent.

As her eyes swept across the room, she became more and more aware of the status of the occupants of this stylish restaurant. Elegance and sophistication were revealed in their movements. It was a place for successful people like her brother and his business associates.

"I lied." Syaoran said curtly, dismissing the topic that had potential to turn into a long, pointless argument. Sakura shot him an accusing glare but he shrugged it off easily with nonchalance, unbothered by the fact that unsaid threats were embedded in those beautiful emerald eyes.

Turning to face the receptionist behind the receptionist's table, Syaoran stated his name and inquired for the table that he had reserved earlier that day, or rather he got Sayuri to reserve it for him since he was too preoccupied by thoughts of a certain someone.

"Please give me a moment sir while I go through the reservation list." The receptionist gave Syaoran a little bow and smiled politely before he lowered his head to skim through the long list of names. Syaoran stood there, one foot taping impatiently on the carpeted floor as he surveyed the restaurant.

"You made reservations already and yet you didn't even bother giving me a phone call?" She glared at him menacingly, the volume of her voice rising little by little.

The words were almost forced out of her mouth between her gritted teeth.

Lips suppressed into a thin line as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "And stop that tapping." She added, almost growling. This made Syaoran chuckle softly. At that moment, she really reminded him of a chiding mother who nagged her children endlessly.

He wanted to make a smartass retort to her comment but refrained himself from giving into the temptation. The last thing he needed right now was a black eye from Sakura.

"I'll lead you to your reserved table Mr. Li." The receptionist suddenly offered, the unwavering polite smile was attached to his face permanently.

Syaoran followed the receptionist's lead as they made their way through the zigzagging path. This restaurant was always full and frequently occupied by only the wealthiest people. He wasn't exactly that fond of this place, but he wanted to take her out to somewhere nice and fancy, since it wasn't everyday that a teenage girl becomes a woman.

"This is your reserved table." The receptionist finally came into a stop in front of the table positioned near a beautiful water fountain and right beside a large window which spanned the entire wall. It reminded him of a glass house. They could see the night sky, the heavens above through the transparent wall.

Syaoran's vision aligned with the distant starlit sky. The night sky was like a velvet blanket, wrapping itself around the earth with such care, as if it were a delicate and dainty baby. There were small diamond chips dappled across it. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

"Mi' lady." The receptionist pulled out the chair for Sakura and bowed deeply, a freehand gesturing her to take a seat. Sakura was taken aback by the receptionist's politeness and sat down stiffly; slightly uncomfortable and embarrassed by the way she was being treated.

"Just admit the fact that you're still a child." The comment reached Sakura's ears, causing her to jerk her head backward. A defiant look grimaced over her face as she shot him a glare full of contempt. "Am not!" She defied, puffing out her chest proudly.

"Ah, whatever you say Sakura."

"Baka onii-chan!" She grumbled and glowered at him, but he seemed rather unaffected by it. Giving up, Sakura leaned against the table, elbows pressed against the white table cloth while warm palms cupped her cheeks, mouth forming a small pout.

She watched her older brother skim through the menu with little interest and realized how long it had been since the last time she saw him at their last family reunion party.

She had somehow managed, miraculously, to convince her mother into throwing family reunion parties once every two years. The convincing and begging process was long and hard, but she pulled it off, and now, she could at least see him once every two years without having to sneak out of the house and tip-toe into his apartment.

It was wrong, she knew it since the beginning, to look at her brother that way, and to long for his touches and kisses. She knew it whole-heartedly. Yet she still couldn't stop herself from committing these sins. Even the great ocean of Neptune could not cleanse her of her sins.

But it was love. It was her fate, planned out by God, and all the other supernatural forces that governed the universe.

The stars in the night sky represented each one of the residences of the planet earth. Sometimes they twinkled brightly in the dark velvety background, and sometimes they were dim. These periodical changes were haphazard, random, and indicated that fate was unpredictable, that life was just a play written by the hands of fate. Mortals had no control over it.

And she knew that they were star crossed lovers, if he ever loved her at all in the way she loved him.

Sometimes she would watch him from afar, observing how he could charm the ladies with just a simple smile, and how he could break their hearts with a few softly spoken words.

It made her wonder--ponder on how it would feel to be in a relationship with him, and how it would feel to be loved by him, even if it ended with her heart being shattered into pieces.

A surge of emotions she never bothered to define would explode in her chest whenever she watched him bending down to plant a chaste kiss on his girlfriends' lips. Envy and jealousy would burn in her veins.

She wanted to be held by him, and melt in his arms as they danced in close proximity. It might be one of her teenage fantasies, but she wanted him, she wanted his love. She wanted him to love her more than just a little sister.

She gazed at him, feeling dazed as her eyes traveled down from his soft chestnut hair and down to his eyebrows, then to his captive amber eyes, perfect jaw and irresistible lips. Everything about him was perfect.

He was the most beautiful artwork by God, with features molded by divine hands. He was truly the image of perfection.

And she really loved him.

He was the man of every woman's dreams, the prince charming described in fairytales. It struck her as infinitely ironic that the man of her deepest desire was actually her brother. Her love, unaccepted by social norms, was sick and twisted, but thrilling in a sense.

"Sakura, quit staring at me and decide on what you're going to order." The taunt snapped Sakura out of her thoughts. Blinking dumbfoundedly, her eyes increased in their size as she saw Syaoran grinning at her smugly.

_Damn_, he caught her staring…again. Mumbling something unintelligible under her breath, Sakura flipped through her menu furiously, trying to get over the embarrassing predicament she had gotten herself into.

The amused chuckle from her brother just irritated her more. "Oh shut up." She snapped.

They always treated each other like that. It was one of the things she loved about their relationship. He liked to tease her, watch her pout at him childishly, and she enjoyed the feeling of being teased by him, even though she reacted as if she wanted to throw a punch at his way. Their little fights made her feel special, almost privileged, knowing that she was the only one who could receive this kind of attention from him.

"I'm turning eighteen tomorrow." She suddenly stated, blurting out the words that had been attempting to roll off her tongue for the past few hours. The grin on his lips waned slightly, but the distinction was subtle.

Green eyes falling upon the handsome young businessman before her, she watched the dim lighting of the restaurant cast a soft glow off his hair and remembered how she used to run her fingers through them when they were young.

"Congratulations." Was all he said. A cold feeling of disappointment rushed into the chambers of her heart. _That's it?_ She wanted to ask. Looking down at the empty plate before her, her heart ached painfully, thudding loudly, hollowly of the unsaid hurt. Silken auburn bangs fell into her eyes, masking her saddened expression.

The last thing she wanted him to see was her weakness.

"Are you coming to my party this year?" She questioned softly as her lips trembled. She tried to maintain her calmness and hold back her tears, but her voice was coarse, and quivering, almost to its breaking point.

Silence reigned between them. The only thing they would hear at that moment, excluding the uneven beatings of their hearts, was the slow, harmonious ballad in the background, making up for the lack of exchange of words between them.

"Nope." He finally decided on the appropriate reply seconds later.

The tension continued to build up between them until it was no longer tolerable. But before Sakura could cast aside her internal debate on whether or not she should speak up, the silence was shattered by the clattering of dishes. It was almost a relief when the waiter showed up with their food.

Sakura looked up at the waiter questioningly as he placed a pleasantly looking dish in front of her. "But I--" before she could finish her sentence, Syaoran provided her with the information she was seeking for without being asked.

"I ordered it for you."

"Oh."

The quiet 'oh' resounded in the air as she looked down, scrutinizing her food. He knew exactly what she liked, what she hated, reading her mind as if it were an open book.

This made her contemplate sometimes, over whether or not he had discovered her hidden feelings for him yet. She was quite certain that the signs were obvious, or maybe he just promptly ignored those hints and refused to acknowledge her as anything more than a sister.

Feeling a sudden frustration building up inside of her, she grabbed the wine bottle placed on the side and poured a large quantity of the thick dark scarlet liquid into her empty glass.

Grabbing onto her glass, she emptied it within a few seconds. She breathed heavily as she stared into the distance. She could feel his concerned, inquisitive eyes on her, but she could have cared less at that moment.

She expected him to say something, or chide her for drinking. But he didn't. And to say this surprised her would be the greatest understatement of the year. Taking it as his permission, she finished another glass of wine hastily. The clinks of forks and plates and glasses filled her head, spinning around the soft music. She was left with little room to think.

Dinner progressed on, and she was more focused on the drinks than on her food. Everything in her plate was practically untouched.

One bottle down after another, until her brain felt fuzzy and her vision became blurry and unclear did he stop her from taking a larger dosage of alcohol. "That's enough." The firm words reached her ears, floating in her mind. An overly gladden smile danced on her lips.

"Ne onii-chan." She purred, freeing her hand from the empty glass with a drop of wine staining its clear bottom. Her hand reached over to his side of the table and touched the hand resting beside the vase in between them. He flinched at the sudden contact, but didn't pull away. She took it as an invitation and continued her previous task; the smile on her face widened.

"Take me home." She requested, locking their eyes into a deep, meaningful gaze, as if she was trying to pass down a message to him--the one that depicted the feelings she could never translate into words.

"Take me back to your place. I'm yours tonight." She added, a seductive smile touched by the slightest hints of unspeakable sorrows. Even though her mind had been numbed by the large quantity of induced alcohol, she knew what she was doing. This was what she wanted, she told herself. This was everything she ever wanted from him.

He froze on the spot momentarily, muscles stiffened as he stared at her unblinkingly, unsure of how to respond to the abrupt request.

"Please." The submissive, innocent, susceptible look in her eyes tugged at his heart, causing it to beat wildly in his chest. It was nearly impossible to refuse her, and the hints of vulnerability tempted him immensely. Unable to battle his inner dark desires, he held onto her hand and left the money on the table.

……

They went back to his enormous, vacant, unoccupied condo. The large glass balcony door spanned the entire wall, revealing the beautiful night sky, lit by the blinding city lights of Tokyo. The lights of the bedroom weren't turned on as Syaoran barged in with Sakura in his arms. He laid her down on the bed and observed her. The silly smile lingered still on her face as she aligned her vision with his.

"Go to sleep kiddo." He instructed like any older brother would and ruffled her hair once again, causing one strand to stick out here and there. Before he could lift himself off the bed and walk away without doing anything inappropriate to her that he knew he would regret later on, she grabbed onto his white shirt firmly, forcing him to look at her and acknowledge her existence.

"Sakura--" before he could even dispute anything, she reached over to pull him down, and their lips parted and met intimately. Syaoran was shocked, stunned, but surrendered easily to the pressure of her soft lips exerted against his. He always wondered how those sweet, tender lips would taste, and now he knew.

She broke the kiss right then, heated emerald eyes full of desire. "I love you," she whispered the forbidden, sinful confession. The light, nearly silent words sounded exceptionally loud in the quiet room. "Take me tonight." She breathed heavily, arms still wrapped around his neck.

Casting aside his doubt and shame, he pulled her closer to him, concealing those sweet lips once more, kissing her with a great passion unmatched by any other. It was hungry, needy, and full of love. He felt her hand running up his neck and through his hair, clutching onto it as she pressed her heated body against him. Her touches were light, inexperienced, yet maddening.

When Syaoran's lips finally trailed away from her mouth, he nipped a path down her creamy neck, his heavy breath beating against the moistened areas. Hearing a moan, his talented hands roamed up her body and worked to unzip the dress she wore while his wick tongue traced over the sensitive skin along her shoulder from her neck.

Her hands were no longer in his hair, but down to his chest. Tapered fingers fumbled their way to unbutton his white shirt while feeling the firmness of his well-built chest.

It was then he pushed her down to the bed with his body, hands pinning her down against the mingled bed sheets and pillows and looked at her seriously. "Are you sure about this Sakura?"

Her chest was rising and falling rapidly unevenly as she nodded her head, despite the nervous knots tied in her stomach and the butterflies that were protesting loudly within her. "Never been surer, onii-chan." She panted before closing her eyes; drowning in the arms of the man she loved the most.

"Syaoran. Call me Syaoran." He whispered to her ears, moistened breathe tickling the sensitive skin. She shivered in pleasure and nodded in comprehension.

"Syaoran." She echoed, trying the name on her tongue before he covered her mouth with his.

Gentle hands slided over slick, smooth skin and the two of them rocked against each other, eyes closed, mouths adhered, tongues tangled and hands struggling to find purchase on slippery skin.

This was their sin, a moment stolen from the rest of the world.

_It was wrong, yet it felt sinfully right._

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A/N: ah I just wrote my first semi-smutty scene! (runs away and hides in shame and mumbles to self "gah…this is so embarrassing") I blame my obsession with the forbidden territories on Angel Sanctuary, Gravitation and Loveless (a proud Shounen-ai fangirl at heart, bring on the forbidden stuff baby! Buwahaha X3). Sorry about my horrible attempt at writing a smut or lemon, or whatever you wanna call it. T.T The next chappie is the last one of this small series. Stay tuned and the finale is coming!

**Open-minded and supportive reviews are welcomed. Flames will be ignored.**

_Chapter two completion date: 14/03/2006_


	3. A Wilted Black Rose

**A Black Rose  
**_By: Aisaki Sumi_

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**Chapter Three  
****A Wilted Black Rose**

_Could've been better irrational, unfair, unreasonable, and he wishes he could blame the world for the way it is but his cynicism tells him life goes on and he's only lost the light of the sun so let him wander by the light of the moon, faded and serene, broken and with fingertips stained dark red._

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When she was younger, she would have the urge to run fingers down his slender back after his showers, to watch the water droplets collect underneath her fingers and spiral off toward the distant ground.

For some odd reason, she liked looking at him from behind; the smooth line of his back, the slender nape, and the tips of his chestnut hair, which would brush those sun-kissed shoulders lightly.

When she was young, all she ever did was watch, with sharp, piercing eyes, acknowledging every move and tilt of the head, taking in the sight of her older brother like a dying man in the desert eyeing his last canister of water.

She wanted, and wanted so much.

Many had thought she was just being a typical possessive younger sister when they saw the hints of ambition and child-like possessive glint in her eyes. They saw her as someone who wanted her older brother's sole attention.

But they were wrong.

She wasn't a spoiled brat. She trusted only her heart, followed her intuitions, did what she thought was the best and that included lying to her beloved mother who had asked her countless times if she ever felt anything more than sibling-love toward her brother.

Now, tracing a tapered finger down his smooth back, she knew she was right from the start, and reached the destination she saw in her youth, those fleeting glimpses of something greater than she could understand.

The man who was lying in her arms right now was the very same boy she desired from such a long time ago — so long ago that she couldn't even remember when or how it started. He was the only man she would ever love in this life time, and if being with him meant to defy God, to throw away everything, then let it be.

"I love you, Syaoran…" A soft murmur against cool skin; a quiet, sinful confession that she no longer feared to speak of as she traced the line of his back with her parted lips.

The smallest instances of hestitation, she held her breath, and didn't relax, not until she felt his muscles relaxing. She closed her eyes, pressing her nose against the small dip in his lower back, nuzzling him lightly.

"Go to sleep Sakura." Was all he said, but it made her smile as she felt him turning around, amber eyes closed as he pulled her into a warmer and tighter embrace.

"Sleep." He repeated once more before shifting into a more comfortable position. His hands were placed on top of hers and Sakura closed her eyes gleefully. Head pressed gently against his steadily rising and falling chest as she drifted toward the realms of sleep.

They held each other like that for the rest of the night… enjoying the imtimacy while it lasted because he knew, they could never touch like this again.

……

Sakura rubbed her tired eyes, pretty eyebrows frowning in annoyance at the invasive morning lights cast over her face, illuminating it a golden tint.

Groaning, she yawned before forcing her eyes open. Her head was pounding painfully as she tried to sit up. A bad hangover, she recognized, deepening the frown on her face.

This was her first time having one. Surely she had seen how painful hangovers were like from TV shows, but having one herself this early in the morning was definitely not something she considered as fun.

A sudden feeling of nakeness pervaded her mind as she realized that she wasn't wearing anything. Wrapping the wrinkled white sheets around her body, she blushed faintly.

The content memories of last night flooded her mind and caused her to widen the blissful smile on her face. She was officially eighteen, and last night was a night she would remember for the rest of her life. It was magical and surreal, almost too unreal for her to accept as reality.

Brushing aside the messy auburn locks, she rolled off the bed and looked around the empty condo. This was her first time being in her brother's private condo and she was amazed at how neat and stylish it was.

The interior designer did a good job on decorating this place, she thought silently to herself, eyes revealing her amazement as she strolled over to the dinning room when her empty stomach grumbled a loud protest.

Her eyes widened in joy as she saw the delicious looking pancakes stacked into a small pile lying in the center of an expensive-looking porcelain plate. There was a bottle of unopened orange juice positioned beside it, aligned with a small vase with a beautiful dark red rose in there.

This sight made her eyes twinkle with little stars. Settling down on the empty seat like an excited child, she mumbled a quiet "ittetakimasu!" before wolfing down the food.

This just had to be the best day of her life…

……

"Syaoran." The older man in his late fourties acknowledged. Sitting comfortably on the black leather chair, he smiled faintly at the sight of his favorite and only son, the one who kept the business going and helped to make it bigger and more successful than it was before.

"What brings you here so early in the morning?" Li Yang asked fatherly, his voice lacing a faint amusement and curiosity.

"I thought about your proposal from the other day." Syaoran stood in the center of the darkened office, with his back straight and chin tilted slightly upward. His eyes were as piercing and sharp as usual while his face remained emotionless. Focusing his gaze on the CEO before him as he waited for an answer, or some sort of reply.

They stared at each other for a brief moment before Li Yang cleared his throat, taken back by the sudden statement that seemed to have popped out of no where. "Well… what's your decision then, son?" He inquired carefully, pronouncing each syllable clearly and slowly, leaving no room for misunderstanding or misinterpretation.

"I'm planning to go, and take care of the business oversea." Syaoran stated coolly, showing no reluctance or hesistancy, as if he had never been surer about anything else in this world. His eyes were cold and unblinking as he scrutinized his father, noticing that the older man had more lines around his eyes than the last time he had seen him.

"Ah…" Li Yang leaned forward; hands folded together and supported his chin, a thoughtful, contemplative expression gracing his face.

"What influenced you into making this decision?" It was a mild and casual question, yet it was dangerous and sharp. He watched his son flinching at the unexpected question slightly and he knew, he had hit a nerve. Even though it was subtle and indistinctive to normal people's eyes, Li Yang still noticed it right away.

Syaoran paused for a moment before deciding on the best answer he could come up with that would actually sound convincing. "Someone needs to go, and it is the best if I go, since you don't really need any of my assistance here in Tokyo." He waited for the words to sink in and watched Li Yang closely, scouting for his permission.

"Hmm, I see." It was a simple statement, yet it was embedded with unsaid words that only Syaoran could hear.

"Well son, if that is want you want to do, then I will give you my full support. After all, our company in New York does need a leader like you; someone who's young, ambitious and talented."

Breaking the intensive eye contact, Li Yang picked up the phone on the right side of his desk and reached out a finger to dial his secretary's number. But Syaoran stopped him. "I already got Sayuri to order the tickets. She'll be bringing them into my office any moment now."

Li Yang gave him a long look before returning the phone to its receiver.

"I see. You're well-prepared Syaoran." This comment made Syaoran grin confidently as he muttered a quiet "of course" in return. Dipping his head lower in a form of a polite nod, Syaoran swerved around and was ready to stroll out of the office.

"Syaoran." The abrupt calling halted him into a stop. Syaoran froze on the spot and listened carefully for what his father had to say.

"You don't have to force yourself to do this if you don't want to. There're a lot of things you'll miss in Tokyo, and people who you might never see again, or as often. I hope you understand what you're throwing away here son."

The soft words resounded in the deadly silence of the room, full of unspeakable sorrow and pain and regret. Syaoran squeezed his eyes shut tightly and walked out of the office without ever looking back, afraid if he did, his mind would change and lose the courage he managed to gather up. Once this decision was made, there would be no turning back.

They weren't meant to be together. It was a sin. It was a mistake. And to amend this mistake, he must walk out of her life, without looking back.

There was something even money couldn't change, and that was their pre-planned destines.

……

Tapping her feet against the granite floor of the ballroom, Sakura cast an impatient glance at the glassed entrance door every five seconds.

She gnawed at the corner of her lips, feeling slightly panicky, yet managed to mask it with a halfhearted smile as people passed by her, wishing her a happy eighteenth birthday.

Self-traitorious thoughts were racing through her mind as she grabbed a drink and emptied it within a blink of an eye.

_Where could that baka onii-chan be?!_ She yelled in her mind, couldn't help but feel agitated and irked by the fact that he was ditching her again this year, when this was the most important day in a girl's life.

This day would mark the end of her teenage years and the beginning of her womanhood. Even as a brother, he should be here, and not to mention he was her lover now…

Pushing aside the thought and the urgency to blush, she continued to tap her white shoes against the ground. Her eyes and mind were so focused on the door that she failed to pick up the soft approaching footsteps until that someone tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

Turning around excitedly, her face dropped as the sight of her mother came into view. There was a pleasant smile on Yelan's face as she studied Sakura lovingly.

"You're all grown up now." Yelan stated, feeling the tears of joy pooling up in her eyes while Sakura sighed in defeat.

"Oh honey, don't look so sad, I know it's the end of one phase of your life, but it's the beginning of another and you should be celebrating it right now." Yelan placed a hand on her shoulder and ran her finger down Sakura's cheek in a motherly manner.

"Anyway, I want to introduce you to somone." The sudden change of subject produced a loud bang in Sakura's head as she realized what her mother's intentions were.

But before she could refuse it, Yelan pulled a handsome young man before her. He had beautiful, mezmrosing cerulean eyes and a charming smile and dark hair that framed his perfect complexion.

"Sakura, this is Hiiragizawa Eriol, from the well-known Hiiragizawa family. They're very successful in London and I'm sure you will be able to show him around sometime, after all, you _are_ the hostess here."

Sakura gaped at Yelan's sweet smiling face in shock, jaws dropped as she stared at her in disbelief. _How can she just sell me off to some random rich guy like this?_

She knew Yelan had been waiting for her eighteenth birthday so she could give her away to some wealthy family, but she didn't expect it to be _this _soon.

Picking up her white dress that was brushing against the smooth surface of the floor, she swerved around and hurried toward the exit, ignoring the curious and stunned looks tossed at her way and her mother's desperate callings.

The background music became faded as she pushed the glassed doors open, scampering toward the main street and halting the first taxi she saw into a stop.

She only had one thing set in her mind at that moment, and that was to find Syaoran. In order to keep her happiness, she realized, some sacrifices needed to be made, and she was willing to do it with almost no hesitation now.

If throwing away her current life and a mother who loved her dearly was what she had to do to be with him, then she would.

She would even change her identity and run away with him to a place where no one could recognize them. Through sickness and health, through thick and thin, through poor and rich, she would always be by his side. The sudden determination and newly found strength even shocked her, and she became manifest that she had never been more resolute about this.

The taxi arrived at Syaoran's condo shortly. Sakura jumped out of the taxi and threw a bunch of crumbled up paper bills at the driver. The security guard was giving her a strange look, and so were the passing by strangers, coming in and out of the building. But she no longer cared. All she wanted to do at the moment was to run into his arms and never let go again.

Finally she reached the top floor, but when she knocked on his door, it creeked open by itself. Frozen on the spot for a few minutes, Sakura poked a head into the darkened, unlit condo and surveyed her surrounding.

All the furniture were covered by white sheets. And the only occupant of the empty condo at that moment was the ghastly silence suspended in the air, heavy of unforgiven pain and unsaid appologies.

Her heart thudded exceptionally loud in the silent condo, almost loud enough to shatter and tumble down the brick walls that formed the firm structure of the place. The clicking sounds made by the contacts of her high heels and the ground echoed through the place that was almost as quiet as a grave yard.

_No…_ her lips trembled as reality slowly seeped into her mind, washing away the idealogical fantasies of them eloping together to a distant ecstastic land, where there was just the two of them.

_No…_ crystal tears threatened to spill out of her eyes as she turned around desperately, trying to find the familiar face in the overwhelming darkness.

"No… he can't do this to me…" The look of despair and denial on her face clearly revealed the current chaotic and dumbstruck state of her mind. Even her speech became broken and incoherent.

She dashed into the bedroom, and panted breathlessly at the door way as she saw a letter and a dark scarlet rose placed on the bed. The moonlights that shone upon it made it appear more black than a dark red shade.

Slowly making her way toward the bed, she held the letter in her shivering hands and read who it was addressed to.

_To my dearest sister Sakura_

Ripping the letter open with cold sweaty fingers that were almost too numb to feel anything, she read on.

_My dearest Sakura, beloved sister,_

_Happy birthday. You're a big girl now, a woman to be exact. Take care of yourself when I'm not around, and try to stay out of trouble. Be a good girl and listen to mother, she only wants the best for you and I entrust her with taking care of you. _

_Your future is bright, and one day, you will get married, have kids of your own and a loving husband. I can only wish you the best as a big brother. But keep this in mind when you're lonely, that there is always someone out there who cares about you and loves you more than anyone else in the world._

_Li Syaoran, your brother._

Tears rushed down her cheeks like non-stop, some droplets splattered onto the letter as she trembled in the darkness. The pain in her heart was too great to be described by any word. Her heart, broken and shattered, was bleeding in the darkness. An invisible trail was left behind, transparent to the others but scarlet red to her.

The letter slipped from the grasp of her hands as she sobbed helplessly in her sorows. It was then the almost indistinctive dingling sound snapped her back to the reality. She looked downward, and saw something shining faintly under the pale moonlight.

Bending down, she lifted it up and recognized what it was.

It was a gold ring, with beautiful cursive writing engraved on it. _I love you Sakura_ it read. Those were the words that never left his mouth, and three words that could melt any girl's heart. But all Sakura wanted to do was to cry.

The silence of the night was shattered by the helpless sobs of the birthday girl. Her pervasive sorrow even made the stars in the sky twinkle in shame.

She had lost the light of the sun, the only love in her life, the only precious person who cared about her more than anything else in this universe. Her love for him was sinful and forbidden, but far more powerful than anything in the world.

Before the time of Romeo and Juliet, there was the tragic story of Tristan and Isolde, and now was it was her turn to write down her heart-achingly beautiful story with tears and wilted black petals.

_There was never a tale of more woes, than this of Sakura and her Syaoran._

……

The rose was deep red, almost black, and when Sakura plucked out the petals one by one, letting them drop to the floor in a lazy, weightless drift, they looked like little self-contained puddles of blood against her white dress and hardwood floor. Two hours she had sat there and the night was bright in the dark sky, lights glittering through the balcony doors to cast a glitter on the broken glass and caught reflection in the water.

Sakura could only watch the petals wilt. She was left in a trail of eye-stinging dust where the silence of the night was her sole companion. Her love, like the black petals, could only wither away, by the battering time. An eternal heartache flavored bitter by resentment at _understanding, _she could only wish for fate to give her another chance to be with the man she loved in the next lifetime--

_--And for them to be anything else, but brother and sister._

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The end

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A/N: Umm, tissues anyone? (Hands out boxes of Kleenex XD)

I'm an imperfect-ending-whore and believe happiness is only temporary. Nothing ever ends as happily ever after in reality and incest will never be accepted by society. But let history prove me wrong :P or will it? (Quirks an eyebrow) This is actually my favorite story so far, out of all the crap I've written in the past 5 years and I hope you guys liked it as much as I enjoyed writing it. :P (I think I'll move to the short stories fandom now XD, multi-chap stories have been proven as too much of a pain in the butt).

I know I probably surprised many of you with this story, but this is actually my true style XD I've been holding back a lot of ideas because I thought people would hate it. I have another short series coming up. It contains 3 chaps only too, and hope you guys can check it out when I post it. :P

Sue me for being a sick, twisted, pessimistic gal who feeds on dark angst.

So…sequels anyone? LOL XD

**Feedbacks are always welcome. Flames won't be tolerated.**

To the people who are still in denial. Sakura and Syaoran are unquestionably, undoubtedly biological brother and sister. X3 (buwahaha, what a slap in the face eh? XP) When I said incest, I meant it. When I said forbidden, it was literally forbidden. All those years I spent in the Shounen-ai fandom have changed my view on many things. I used to be a fluff, happy-ending lover like you most readers in the CCS section. I used to be an optimistic girl who naively believed in the deceptive concept of "true love can conquer anything". But it can't. In the real world, it really can't. Shounen-ai fanfics has showed me that.

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I always do an analysis of my own story at the very end, so here it is. If you didn't get the metaphors I used in this story, or the themes outlined here, or couldn't identify my sources of inspiration, well here's where you can find them.

**Metaphors: (the super obvious ones)**

The first metaphor that should hit you right away is the title, A Black Rose. Black: a representation of darkness and the forbidden grounds, something hidden from the eyes of many. Rose: beautiful yet dangerous because of its thorns; a representation of love, a dangerous yet beautiful love.

The second thing is the paragraph I have in italics at the very top of each chapter. Those words hint the contents of the fic. (re-read them if you want to see if things match up, I'm too lazy to discuss them here :P)

**Themes **

There are many sub themes in this story, but I'll only go over the VERY obvious ones.

This fic demonstrates my philosophy on Love and Life in general. Happiness is only temporary. Ideologies and fantasies are often shattered by the hard cold reality. You can pretend, lie to yourself that it's not true. But that's not going to change anything.

Incest is always considered as a part of the forbidden love thing, an unforgivable sin. But you can't help who you fall in love with. Love itself, has no boundaries, but it has its limits. Love can't get you out of everything. People think love is the most powerful thing on earth, but it's actually not. Things such as morals limit what love can do. The great playwright, William Shakespeare once had said in Romeo and Juliet that "violent delights have violent ends". And that is exactly what this story shows.

**Character Development: **

Syaoran seems like a tough character. He has the typical ruthless businessman image, but deep down inside he isn't that strong. Or at least he's not as strong as he appears to be on the surface.

In fact, he might be even weaker than Sakura when it comes to love. But Syaoran eventually grows out of his obsession and realizes that he can never have her (probably the hardest thing he has to face). He is the one who took the first, fearless step, and walked out of her life and took control of things once again like he did with his business etc.

Restoration of order is necessary, and it would be totally chaotic if brother and sister start to live happily ever after. Every single tragic play of Shakespeare's had multiple characters' deaths at the end because restoration of order in society is necessary. He believed that death was the only way to resolve these kinds of things, but I don't really agree with that. Thus, no body dies in this story. Just for the record, I see suicides as cowardly acts, seriously no offence to you dramatic-suicide-lovers out there.

Sakura seems like a whiny school girl, possibly the opposite of Syaoran. But she is actually more mature than she seems. Sakura knows what she wants and is the first one to step out of the shadows and clear up her feelings for him, even though she knows it is forbidden.

She's the one to actually takes action instead of just sitting there like Syaoran, doing absolutely nothing. However, Sakura is only 18 years old. It shows that she hasn't fully matured yet and that she still has the tendency to ignore what reality imposed upon them and dream about the day they finally get together. Hence, her little unrealistic teenage fantasies at the end of how she could ran away with him to somewhere where no one would recognize them and live happily ever after.

**Sources of Inspiration:**

Angel Santuary is my main source of inspiration. The love shared between Syaoran and Sakura is inspired by the one of Setsuna and Sara. It is sad to see them being unaccepted by society, and Setsuna being mistreated by his mother. The mother thought Setsuna was a devil because he always survives (magically), from extreme situations such as the building tumbling down upon him etc. That is because he is the reincarnation of the fallen angel, Alexiel, who led the rebellion against heaven because it is corrupted etc. But I won't get into the details. It would take me forever to explain the complex angel, god, and demons plot and considering that I don't even get it myself XD. The rest of the plot belongs to my sick/twisted mind. A lot of parts are actually taken from my other story, Withered Petals, so now I gotta go change the parts I borrowed from that fanfic. T.T

Romeo and Juliet is the inspiration for all my stories actually. When I write, I keep in mind what love really is and try to achieve what Shakespeare did with his work. Although I really can't be compared to him (the gap between us is like what, the width or the entire universe? XD) but I'm trying lolz. He's a great inspiration to me and I lub his plays to death. :P

If you have anymore questions, feel free to email me and I'll email you back asap.

And drop me an analytical review and let me know how you perceived my metaphors and themes and see if we are all on the same line. :P Even if we aren't, it doesn't mean you're wrong, it just means we interpret things differently. In literature, there is no right or wrong answers, as long as you can provide a reasonable explanation for your claims, you're technically never wrong.


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